After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 138 Is it the wind or the flag that moves?

Pei Yanzhi's hands were slightly cool, but he had stood at the door for a while before coming in, just in case Xiang Ning got cold.

At this moment, with a warm and soft woman in his arms, his tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

Have you had dinner yet?

Pei Yanzhi asked softly, his warm breath brushing against Xiang Ning's neck, carrying a hint of intimacy and concern.

Xiang Ning nodded slightly, a movement as light as a feather, as if in response to his question.

"Then go to sleep first."

Pei Yanzhi withdrew his hand from Xiang Ning's body and gently tucked the blanket back into her clothes.

However, just as he got up from the bed, Xiang Ning seemed to subconsciously reach out and grab Pei Yanzhi's sleeve.

This sudden action made Pei Yanzhi pause, and he turned to look at Xiang Ning with some doubt.

"what happened?"

The waning moon outside the window cast a faint glow, which gently spilled into the room like a silver veil.

Under the hazy moonlight, Xiang Ning noticed a gentleness in Pei Yanzhi's eyes that she had never seen before.

"Has Pei Lang not eaten?"

It was a simple word of concern, but it was the first word of care that Xiang Ning had spoken to Pei Yanzhi since he found her.

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible dark glint flashed in Pei Yanzhi's eyes.

"not yet."

He uttered two words briefly.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ning immediately sat up and said without hesitation, "There's still some food in the small kitchen, I'll go."

Pei Yanzhi's gaze grew increasingly intense as he followed her movements, staring intently at her.

Xiang Ning lowered her head slightly to avoid that intense gaze, draped her coat over her shoulders, and walked out.

Pei Yanzhi sat on the edge of the bed and looked away.

He knew Xiang Ning's personality well; she wouldn't come to his place without a reason.

She must have something to say to be willing to lower her stance like that.

Otherwise, given her usual wariness of him, she would never have taken such the initiative.

Pei Yanzhi understood, but he was in no hurry to ask. He simply sat quietly by the bed and waited patiently for Xiang Ning.

Before long, Xiang Ning carried a simple meal into the room. Several delicate side dishes were steaming hot, along with a bowl of steaming porridge.

She placed the food on the table and said softly, "There isn't much left in the small kitchen."

Pei Yanzhi stood up, walked to the table, sat down, picked up his chopsticks, but did not rush to eat. Instead, he looked up at Xiang Ning.
"There's no need for such formality between us. If there's anything you need to say, just say it directly."

Xiang Ning was slightly taken aback by Pei Yanzhi's straightforward question, realizing that he had already noticed her thoughts.

Xiang Ning bit her lip slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I heard some things at Xiangguo Temple."

"After Miss Wen was kidnapped by bandits, the rumors in the capital seemed to be related to Princess Huihe."

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Pei Yanzhi take a sip of porridge: "You want to help her?"

“Miss Wen has helped me before. I don’t like owing favors, but I don’t have the ability to help her now.”

Xiang Ning sat to the side, looking troubled. Even if Wen Caifu didn't say anything, Xiang Ning could still sense something from her expression.

Princess Huihe was arrogant and domineering, using a woman's most cherished reputation to frame Wen Caifu.

No one could swallow this insult.

"When you were in Yangzhou, helping people manage their businesses, you should know one thing."

Pei Yanzhi smiled slightly and brought the porridge to his lips.

"What does Pei Lang want to say?"

Xiang Ning rested her hand on her leg, her intuition telling her that what he was saying was unlikely to be anything good.

"No one gets up early without a profit; a businessman will not do a business that loses money."

"I can repay your favor for you, but Ah Ning, how are you going to repay what you owe me?"

He put the spoon into the bowl and took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

When her gaze shifted to Xiang Ning's face, she saw the corners of his lips curving into a clear smile.

Xiang Ning's heart tightened. She knew Pei Yanzhi wouldn't help her for no reason, but she really had nothing to offer in return.

"What does Pei Lang want?"

Pei Yanzhi chuckled softly, stood up, and slowly walked towards Xiang Ning. He stood in front of her, leaned down slightly, and gently lifted her chin with his fingers, making her look directly into his eyes.

"A-Ning, you should know what I want."

All he wanted was her sincere heart, for her to no longer be wary of him and to wholeheartedly stay by his side.

Unfortunately, these are all desires.

Xiang Ning met Pei Yanzhi's gaze and seemed to understand something from his eyes.

If you can keep your promise to me, I will accept you as agreed.

She reached out and grasped Pei Yanzhi's wrist, a smile blooming in his eyes.

Only by responding to his words can we convince him that this is something Xiang Ning has come to understand.

Pei Yanzhi withdrew his hand and grasped hers instead: "It's late, go and rest."

After saying that, he pulled Xiang Ning to the bedside.

The next morning, when Xiang Ning woke up, Pei Yanzhi was gone.

Wen Caifu had just returned from the main hall when she saw Xiang Ning leaving.

"woke up?"

Upon hearing Wen Caifu's voice, Xiang Ning turned her head to look.

“I met Lord Pei when I got up this morning. He said he would come to pick you up and take you back to the Pei residence later.”

Wen Caifu walked over with a smile, and even though she didn't say much, Xiang Ning felt a little embarrassed.

“Miss Wen, Princess Huihe is the beloved daughter of Prince Qing. Please think twice before you act.”

Xiang Ning walked over to Wen Caifu and gave her a reminder.

Having heard of Cai Fu's kindness, she naturally didn't want anything to happen to her.

Wen Caifu was taken aback at first, then nodded slightly, her eyes filled with determination: "So you saw through it all."

"I understand the implications, but I cannot rest easy until I avenge this wrong. But don't worry, I will not act rashly."

After all, she still had the Wen family behind her.

Xiang Ning sighed softly, "Then I can only wish you all the best."

The two exchanged a smile and said nothing more.

Around noon, Pei Yanzhi arrived at Xiangguo Temple to pick up Xiang Ning and bring her back to the Pei residence.

Xiang Ning nodded in agreement and went back to her room to pack her simple belongings.

After bidding farewell to Wen Caifu, the group left the place.

Once back in the carriage, Xiang Ning felt inexplicably heavy-hearted.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares echoed through the streets, dispelling the winter chill.

Suddenly a gentle breeze blew by, lifting the carriage curtain, and she saw the wine flags of the restaurants fluttering outside the window.

At that moment, Pei Yanzhi's voice also fell.

'The wind blows and the flag flutters; is it the wind that moves, or the flag?'

'I have no idea. '

After a long silence, Xiang Ning heard him reply, "You'll understand in the future."

Thinking of this, Xiang Ning turned her gaze back to Pei Yanzhi, who was resting with his eyes closed.

He always seemed tired, but he was unwilling to stop and rest.

It's as if the world can't move forward without him.

"Is there writing on my face?"

Those dark eyes suddenly opened, flashing with a hint of light, like obsidian.

With a gentle smile, he jokingly said it.

Xiang Ning tried to look away, but it was too late.

"You were peeking at me."

The phrase "the wind blows and the banner flutters" comes from the Platform Sutra.

When Huineng wandered to Faxing Temple in Guangzhou, he heard a monk say, "The wind blows and the flag moves," and another monk said, "The flag moves and we know the wind blows." Huineng replied, "It is neither the wind nor the flag that moves; it is your mind that moves."

Translation: It is not the wind that moves, nor the flag that moves, but the mind that moves.

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(End of this chapter)